SETTING YOUR TEAM UP FOR SUCCESS
By Lea Brovedani “The Trust Architect”
ON BIG BLEND RADIO: Lea Brovedani “The Trust Architect” shares tips on how to set a team up for success, especially when it comes to project management. Watch here in the YouTube player or download the podcast on PodBean.
Years of being on teams and heading teams have given me insights into what supports success. Are you interested in finding out how to help your team succeed? Read on.
An engineering professor found that when he set up situations for people to get to know each other, their projects were better researched, detailed, innovative and accurate. Intelligence, drive, and aptitude didn’t have as big an impact as the get-together with beer and pizza. Are you wondering why? Stop for a minute and think about it. If you’re working on a big project and you have an important question, but you think you should already know the answer, are you really going to reach out to the person you don’t really know? Perhaps they’ll use the information against you and make you look like the village idiot when they are discussing it with others. You might not have their contact information or even remember their name! But, if you have met them before and gotten to know them, you’re able to have a casual call where you can talk it out, get the information you need, and quite possibly get new insights that help you on the project. If you want your team to succeed, let them get to know each other in casual, non-threatening situations. We don’t trust what and who we don’t know.
After the great London fire, the famous architect Christopher Wren was commissioned to rebuild St. Paul’s Cathedral. The story goes that he came across three bricklayers working on his cathedral. When he asked the first bricklayer what he was doing, he responded “I’m laying bricks so I can make money to feed my family”. When he asked the second bricklayer, he answered that he was building a wall. It was the third bricklayer who was working hard and fast that answered the same question with “I’m building a great cathedral for our Lord!” If you want commitment and brilliant work from your team, show them how their work contributes to the big goal. Regardless of the job, people will give a better effort if they understand their connection to the vision, mission, values, and goals. Remember “show them the cathedral” and you’ll find it easier to get the commitment you need for success.
I’m a better leader now because I made so many mistakes when I was younger. In 2003, I was chairing a large HR/Emotional intelligence conference with a budget of over 350k. I felt overwhelmed. Fortunately, we had hired a conference organizer who consistently followed up to make sure everything got done. If someone committed to a task, Wendy was the one who followed up. I made the mistake of thinking once I delegated, it was off my list, and I was fortunate to have Wendy on my team to keep us on track. I learned from her and now I circle back to make sure that there is follow-through. It can be a quick call to do a check-in and see where people are at. It indicates where there are struggles and who needs help. Consistency shows up in doing what you say you will do.
The first meeting for the HR conference was getting everyone together so we could get people into the area that matched their skills and desire to serve. I wanted everyone to commit to the task at hand but also see where their role fit into the overall outcome. For example, the team working on the budgets and finances had backgrounds in accounting and I trusted them to do their work. Since I don’t even balance my checkbook, it wasn’t a match for me. We each worked to our strengths and competencies. You know those memes on Facebook you see and ignore? Albert Einstein was quoted as saying “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” For your project to be successful, find out the competencies of the people on the team!
Finally, make it safe for people to ask questions. My friend Marcy taught Grade 3 and I remember sitting in on one of her classes as a volunteer. One of the children was distraught over difficulties they were having with the work and said “Mrs. McIver, I made a mistake.” She went over and helped them but before she did, she smiled and said “No, you made a learn”. Wouldn’t it be great if we all felt comfortable “learning” and communicating when we had difficulties? If you’re working on a project, you want to know the small $ problems before they turn into big $$$$ catastrophes! Make communicating safe. Be respectful of others and follow the adage “Praise in public. Criticize in private”.
Lea Brovedani is a speaker and workshop facilitator on trust who is recognized as a Top Thought Leader on Trust for by the organization Trust Across America and is the author of “TRUST Me – Restore Belief & Confidence in an Uncertain World” and “TRUSTED – Secret Lessons from an Inspired Leader.” Lea appears on Big Blend Radio every third Thursday. More: https://leabrovedani.com/
